Injury in Starting and Replacement Players from Five Professional Men's Rugby Unions.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the incidence, severity, and burden of injury in starting and replacement players from professional men's teams of five rugby unions.

Methods: Match injuries of greater than 24 h time-loss (including data on the severity, match quarter, event, body region) and player minutes of match exposure data were collated for all starting and replacement players in the men's English Premiership, Welsh Pro14 (both 2016/17-2018/19 seasons), and Australian, New Zealand, and South African Super Rugby (all 2016-2018 seasons) teams. Injury incidences and mean injury burden (incidence × days missed) were calculated, and rate ratios (RRs) (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) were used to compare injury incidence and burden between starting (reference group) and replacement players.

Kumanu Tāngata: the aftermatch study - protocol to examine the health outcomes of high-level male rugby union players using linked administrative data.

There is increasing interest in the potential long-term outcomes of participation in contact and collision sports, driven by evidence of higher rates of neurodegenerative diseases among former athletes. Recent research has capitalised on large-scale administrative health data to examine health outcomes in contact sport athletes. However, there is limited research on outcomes associated with participation in rugby union, a contact sport with a relatively high incidence of head trauma and musculoskeletal injuries.

COVID-19 Lockdown: A Global Study Investigating the Effect of Athletes' Sport Classification and Sex on Training Practices.

Purpose: To investigate differences in athletes' knowledge, beliefs, and training practices during COVID-19 lockdowns with reference to sport classification and sex. This work extends an initial descriptive evaluation focusing on athlete classification.

Methods: Athletes (12,526; 66% male; 142 countries) completed an online survey (May-July 2020) assessing knowledge, beliefs, and practices toward training.

Correction to: Injury Risk in New Zealand Rugby Union: A Nationwide Study of Injury Insurance Claims from 2005 to 2017.

Page 11, column 2, section 4.2 Injury Epidemiology, paragraph 4.

Injury Risk in New Zealand Rugby Union: A Nationwide Study of Injury Insurance Claims from 2005 to 2017.

Objectives: The Accident Compensation Corporation is a compulsory, 24-h, no-fault personal injury insurance scheme in New Zealand. The purpose of this large-scale retrospective cohort study was to use Accident Compensation Corporation records to provide information about rugby injury epidemiology in New Zealand, with a focus on describing differences in risk by age and gender.

Methods: A total of 635,657 rugby injury claims were made to the Accident Compensation Corporation for players aged 5-40 years over the period 2005-2017.

Guidelines for community-based injury surveillance in rugby union.

Objectives: The vast majority of rugby union ('rugby') participants are community-based players; however, the majority of injury surveillance studies reported relate to the elite, professional game. A potential reason for this dearth of studies could be the perceived difficulty of using the consensus statement for injury recording at the community level. The aim of this study was to identify areas where the consensus statement could be adapted for easier and more appropriate implementation within the community setting.

Tackle technique of rugby union players during head impact tackles compared to injury free tackles.

Objectives: The majority of head injuries in rugby union occur during tackles in which the head receives an impact. Head impacted tackles may be a result of poor tackle technique. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyse ball-carrier and tackler technique proficiency in head impacted tackles and compare the technique proficiency to successfully completed tackles in real-match situations.

Risk factors for head injury events in professional rugby union: a video analysis of 464 head injury events to inform proposed injury prevention strategies.

Objectives: The tackle is responsible for the majority of head injuries during rugby union. In order to address head injury risk, risk factors during the tackle must first be identified. This study analysed tackle characteristics in the professional game in order to inform potential interventions.

Evaluation of RugbySmart: a rugby union community injury prevention programme.

RugbySmart, a rugby union injury prevention programme, was launched in New Zealand in 2001. It was compulsory for all coaches and referees to complete RugbySmart requirements annually in order to continue coaching or refereeing. After 5 years of implementation the programme partners, Accident Compensation Corporation and New Zealand Rugby Union, evaluated RugbySmart to determine its effectiveness in reducing injuries.